The utilization of ascorbic acid and certain salts thereof as a feed additive is well-known. However, since these materials are relatively unstable, either alone or in combination with other water-soluble vitamins, there are many problems associated with the stability of a vitamin C active component in animal feedstuffs. Certain conditions found in a feedstuff environment, e.g. atmospheric oxygen, moisture, enzymes, certain chemicals as, for example, certain iron salts as well as the mechanical and physical stresses encountered in the manufacture and processing of the animal feedstuffs, (e.g., during pelletizing) contribute to the degradation of the vitamin C active component therein.
There have been numerous efforts in the prior art to prepare stable forms of the vitamin C active component in dry, particulate compositions for supplementation of animal feedstuffs.
The major procedures described in the art involve the coating of the vitamin C active component with such substances as ethyl cellulose, cetyl alcohol, mixtures of paraffin wax and low molecular weight polyethylene and the like. The vitamin materials are usually prepared by mixing particles of a vitamin C active component with a solvent containing the coating material and, subsequently, removing the solvent. However, these coated vitamin C active materials have been found to be unsatisfactory. First of all, the particles which result are usually much larger than the particles of the uncoated starting material. In addition, these coated particles often agglomerate leading to such deleterious properties as a lack of uniformity in the feed and a loss of good flow properties. Thus, such materials are unsuitable for admixtures in feedstuffs.
Another method used to overcome the problem of stability is the addition of large excesses of the vitamin C active component (i.e., up to 200% excess) to a feedstuff during the manufacturing process.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide novel, dry, free-flowing compositions containing a vitamin C active component which will be suitable for admixture with, and stable in, aminal feedstuffs.